'Jericho,' the new production at the New Jersey Repetory Company, outshines the rest

Carol Todd and Jim Shankman star in "Jericho" at the New Jersey Repertory Company.

Before each show at New Jersey Repertory Company in Long Branch, company producer Gabor Barabas offers witty observations about the world at large and theater in general. Even when he asks his audience to buy subscriptions or give donations, he has style and charm.

Barabas always mentions how many productions his company has presented.

“Jericho,” he points out, is the 85th show he’s produced in Long Branch.

And this play, by Jack Canfora, is the best of the bunch. Although the acting and direction here are almost always solid, Evan Bergman has seen to it that each reaches an even higher level.

“Jericho” has an attention-grabbing opening line; lead character Beth tells her analyst: “My husband’s being killed is the least of my problems.”

Audiences will soon see her point when they discover that Beth’s husband, Alec, died in the World Trade Center on 9/11. The ensuing years haven’t been easy.

For the past three months, Beth has been dating Ethan. With Thanksgiving coming, he’s asked her to meet his family in Jericho, Long Island. Beth, however, has spent post-9/11 Thanksgivings with Alec’s family.

If Beth knew how Ethan’s family was faring this year, she undoubtedly wouldn’t want to go. These aren’t good times for Ethan’s brother, Josh, and sister-in-law, Jessica. Ethan’s Mom will have some dynamic news to dispense, too.

writer at work

“Jericho” may not seem to be the play’s logical title. Canfora may be citing the famous Battle of Jericho in which Joshua fought, given that he chose that name for one of his characters. But at least metaphorically, the walls do come a-tumblin’ down in this two-hour play.

Canfora’s dialogue shows a true writer at work. Mother is said to clean “with a Howard Hughes intensity.” Ethan says he’s so inured to constantly keeping the truth from her that, “I lie to her about weather forecasts.” When Jessica complains about her mother-in-law’s answering machine messages, she gripes about their “Russian novel length.” Audiences only need to hear one of them — and Canfora mercifully includes only one — to find that they will nod and agree with Jessica.

And yet, Canfora doesn’t make this Jewish mother a stereotype. Rachel can be maddening, but in different ways from the ones to which inferior writers gravitate. Adding to the freshness of the character is the sincere and honest performance by Kathleen Goldpaugh.

Josh believes that he has every one of the answers to life’s questions. He too has had a traumatic, life-changing experience which has led him to this single-mindedness. Actor Jim Shankman shows us a man who staunchly believes in his decisions.

And those decisions greatly impact his relationship with his wife. Carol Todd is magnificent in showing all of Jessica’s many feelings toward her husband: impatience, anger and devastation. The way she delivers her question to Josh — “What’s the point of us if I can’t help you?” — brings tears to her eyes, and will undoubtedly yield many from the audience, too.

Andrew Rein provides an eloquent voice of reason as Ethan. Making an equally strong impression is Corey Tazmania’s Beth. She makes the 9/11 widow’s brave smile seem close to collapsing at any second. That’s true when she speaks about dealing with friends and neighbors: “People wonder why I don’t have the decency to go away.”